While the Artful Life Alliance was plotting to lay a trap for Sage, he had not just gone into hiding. There were those who thought he was too weak to take on the stronger members of the alliance, while there were others who thought he was just taking his time to properly prepare the next part of his attack. The truth was that he’d chosen a completely different target to take them all off guard.
As soon as Sage started his attacks upon the Artful Life Alliance, the other groups that had been in conflict with him were alerted and put up their guard. Even so, it was not so simple a thing to stay completely at alert for a long period of time. A peak level of alertness was extremely taxing and the Violet Light Sect’s guards quickly lost their fearful state. The number of patrols and size of the guard teams had doubled, but they had grown relaxed after facing no threat for months.
They had all grown used to their sect’s defensive array operating constantly until one day when the sky darkened. A loud buzzing filled the air and the dark cloud above them grew larger and larger as all those guards on duty realized that it wasn’t a cloud, but an army. Tens of thousands of men in dark armor with insect wings on their backs covered the sky and surrounded their Sect. The sky lit up with a golden light and everyone in the Violet Light Sect looked skyward. A dome of energy appeared around their sect, the defensive array coming to life to protect them. In the sky above them, another dome appeared, forming a second layer around their sect.
The servants and lower ranking disciples were impressed by this second layer, feeling pride in how safe they would be, while those in the upper echelon were frowning. That outer layer of energy was not their defensive array, but a giant array formed by the flying army surrounding the sect. It was not an attack, but more like a giant net, to make sure none of them could escape.
The actual attack came a few moments later, and the survivors of that day would tell stories about it for the rest of their lives. Sage chose the simplest and most fear inducing method of attack he could think of. He showed them his real body. A spider with a body the size of a large hill appeared outside of the Violet Light Sect, but within the second barrier layer. It was only at this point did all of those within realize that the second layer was not protecting them, but trapping them inside. Unlike the attacks he’d made upon the smaller groups making up the Artful Life Alliance, Sage didn’t open the doors and scare away the majority of the members this time. Instead, he locked them in and started to terrify them with his size rather than a raging fire.
This was the simplest and also the most primitive way to break a defensive formation. Sheer brute force. Against other cultivators, his gigantic body was of limited use, as their small size and high speed made it quite easy for them to avoid his massive bulk. For that reason, even as huge and powerful as his body was, it didn’t do much when he couldn’t catch an enemy. On the other hand, against a large stationary target, like a defensive array, his body was a powerful weapon. The Living Disaster was many times more terrifying in this regard, considering it was made of stone and many times larger, but even with his smaller size and lighter chitin body the force he could generate was immense.
Sage lifted his two front lets up and poked them down upon the array protecting the Violet Light Sect. The violet colored energy barrier shimmered, but remained strong. Those inside sighed with relief, glad to see they were safe. Sage didn’t mind, merely lifting his legs and tapping on the barrier again. For him, he was just moving his feet, but on the inside it was another story entirely. In a secret chamber of the Violet Light Sect, there was a team of Elders rapidly replacing Spirit Stones at the core of the array. Everytime he tapped his foot against the barrier it burned out hundreds of Spirit Stones, draining the array of its power. It was both the strength and weakness of giant sect defending arrays. They could guarantee the safety of a whole sect or clan, but only so long as they could keep up with the expenditure. The more powerful the foe, the more money it burned.
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Shame to waste so much of their money before I can take it from them.
It was only a matter of time until the defensive formation shattered, but Sage was surprised at how long they endured. He kept stepping on their shield for a full hour before the violet barrier finally shattered like colored glass. At this time, the majority of the Violet Light Sect had already evacuated, leaving the buildings empty and the grounds clear. Sage had to admit that these fellows knew how to show off. The sect was decorated in the manner of a royal garden, with giant multi-tiered fountains, carefully manicured hedges, and flower gardens in full bloom despite it being the wrong season. Their buildings also had an equal level of majesty. Even the lowest level disciple was housed in something that looked like the wing of a palace.
As he was admiring their picturesque grounds, a bald old man with a fu manchu and wearing a violet robe leapt up onto the top of the tallest building in front of him. The man had a look of anger on his face, yet Sage could see the quiver in his eyes that spoke of fear. Behind him, a middle aged man with elaborately embroidered robes called up at him, “Ancestor, please leave! I am the Sect Leader, so all of this is my responsibility! The Sect still needs you as a backer.”
The old man shook his head, “The enmity between us is already unresolvable. You already carry the torch for the Sect, go and revive it.”
“There’s no need to put on a play. Neither of you will be leaving here today. You should go fetch the other leaders and elders of your Sect. If they give up their lives obediently, the rest can live.”
A booming voice rolled out from the giant spider. It had a strange accent, since it didn’t have the lips, tongue, or mouth of a human. In order to form the sounds, he used the Divine Breath technique to speak in a primitive fashion. He could have used a voice transmission, but he wanted to intimidate the entire sect with the terrifying sound and power of this giant body. The members of the Violet Light Sect were trying to escape, but unless they had a true Transportation Formation, all they could do was try to hide from him. With the giant array being maintained by the Dragoons they wouldn’t be able to sneak out without being noticed.
The old man’s eyes sank when he heard that declaration. He stood tall and glared up at the giant spider before lifting his hand and releasing a powerful fluctuation of energy. That law of nobility sprung up around him once again. Bright violet light burned at the tip of his finger and he thrust it forth towards the giant spider. That burning light had an inviolable quality to it, carrying a feeling of stainless authority.
That giant spider, Sage, lifted his front leg and moved it into the path of the violet beam. Then a golden light suddenly sprung to life, blocking the violet beam. The old man’s eyes widened when he saw this golden aura appear around his body like a second skin. The two front legs of the giant spider lifted into the air and the golden aura formed into two gigantic downward facing sabers, extending from the ends of its legs. A strange law energy started to form in the air, and the old man realized it was futile.
At that moment, all the fight went out of the old man’s eyes. The Violet Light Sect Ancestor’s energy weakened, but the law power around him grew stronger. It stabilized around him and that aura of authority caused Sage to lower his legs back down. The golden aura disappeared and the old man turned back to the Sect Leader, “Summon the Council of Elders. We have erred this time. The Violet Light Sect can only accept their defeat and hope the younger generation will not repeat our mistakes.”